NEW ZEALAND TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2571, 24 June 1903, Page 52

NEW ZEALAND TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA.

Tho New Zealand team selected to represent thi* colony in Australia has given general satisfaction at this end of the i«'ai:d. the opinion being that the selectors ha\a done tbeir work well and chosen a combination of players who should hold their own with any combination on th« Australian side. Having something like 66 players to select from, all of wiiem, according to their nominators, were "worthy of inclusion in any New Zealand team," the difficulty of selecting not only a New Zealand representative team, but a team which would as far as .possible al=;o be rapicsentative of the various provinces, is at once apparent. That Me^sm Harris, Fache, Evans, and Murray have carried out their task well no reasonable person will gainsay. The strength of the back divieion hos more in its attack than its defence, and this applios particularly and forcibly to tho three-quarter line, all of whom, with the exception of M'Gregor (of Auckland) are weak en the tackle. The brunt of this defence work boliind the i-crum will have to be borne on the shoulderaof Duncan, Wood. Harvey, KierLan, and Stead. Wallace, I presume, will bo full back of the team, with a transfer of R- M'Gregor if necessary. In the three, quarter line lies tho weakness of the present team, none of the players in that divison being what might be termed top-notchers, ard they compare by no means favourably with the three-quarters of the last team which touied New South Wales when G. Smith. A Armit, Alf Bavly, etc., were the phming 1-ghts. The half backs are sound; both Kieruan (of Auckland) and Harvey (of Canteibury) being the best players in New Zealand at the present time in this department. Of fivc-einrhths, the team has superabundance in Duncan, Wood, Rt-ad, and Wallace, if played in that position. The forwards are a fine lot, but it is open to argument if the selectors have not chosen too many wing players, and not enough =ohd s.criiTnmagers. However, no more than ■two wingers will be played in any one mauli, and these if required will be able to do their share of the heavy work. The only excuse for these men playing outside thn icrum will be to prevent the opposing half backe getting the ball out to the slippery Now South Wales three-quarter line. But better far if all the New Zealand forwards get into th<» <?rrum and heel out to their own bar- 1 n-< an attacking game of it fro nip. In conclusion I anticipate > cw Zealand team, of 1903 will repeat thf successes of previous New Zealand teams in Australia. This year's combination will be the fourth to visit Australia. The firet team (1884) played eight matches, and went through without v defeat; the second team (1893) played 10 matches, and -was only beaten once ; and the third team (1897) also won nine out of ten games. J. Duncan, the Otago back, is the only member of this year's team who visited Australia with the IST team.